


The Magic Paintbrush

by Junliet



Series: Barbie AUs [4]
Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Angst, Based on Barbie as Rapunzel, Evgenia is a dragon, Fluff, Happy Ending, Jun is a rabbit, Kidnapping, M/M, knife shoes appreciation society
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-01 08:30:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17863910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Junliet/pseuds/Junliet
Summary: Once, long long ago, in a time of castles, kings, and magic, there was a secret manor hidden deep in a dark forest. The woods were whispered to be full of monsters and dragons. And, even if you were brave enough to go into the forest, you couldn’t see the manor. It was concealed behind a magic wall, which kept intruders out and, more importantly, kept a young man hidden inside.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [K1mHeechu1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/K1mHeechu1/gifts), [emilia_kaisa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilia_kaisa/gifts).



> Hi! Hi! Hello! Here is the Rapunzel au that literally nobody asked for, but guess what, you're getting it anyway because why not? It is a gift to two very wonderful people who have been so supportive of this idea and me in general, so thank you guys! Enjoy!
> 
> Characters:  
> Rapunzel: Jason  
> Prince Stefan: Shoma  
> King Frederick: Yuzuru  
> King Wilhelm: Javier  
> Penelope: Evgenia  
> Hobie: Jun  
> Gothel: Morozov (can you tell I don't like him?)  
> Otto: Sasha  
> Hugo: Sergei  
> Katrina: Rika  
> Melody: Kaori  
> Lorena: Mai  
> Tommy: Kazuki  
> The silver smith: Brian  
> Those two guards that Stefan sends to look for Rapunzel: Keiji and Daisuke

_Once, long long ago, in a time of castles, kings, and magic, there was a secret manor hidden deep in a dark forest. The woods were whispered to be full of monsters and dragons. And, even if you were brave enough to go into the forest, you couldn’t see the manor. It was concealed behind a magic wall, which kept intruders out and, more importantly, kept a young man hidden inside._

Sitting by the window, painting the edges of the clouds above a beach on a canvas, was a young man with curly brown hair pulled back into a long ponytail and bright brown eyes. He sighed contently as he painted the details, dipping his brush back onto the colour palette. Paintings of a purple dragon and a white rabbit as well as other beautiful landscapes were propped up around the room.

“Do you hear that Jason? It’s my stomach rumbling.” A white rabbit hopped onto the stool next to him, standing beside his brushes. “Ugh, I feel weak. Oh! I see them! Stars in front of my eyes!” The rabbit flopped onto his back dramatically, nearly knocking off the pot of brushes.

Jason chuckled, handing the rabbit a little carrot. “Okay, okay Jun-Hwan. We wouldn’t want anyone fainting around here. I’m almost done.”

“Look at this!” A purple dragon stood tall, looking over Jason’s shoulder with a bright smile on her face. “I mean, look at this painting! I can smell the salt water! I can feel the mist!”

“One day, I’m going to walk along a beach just like this one,” Jason said happily, “and see nothing but open sky, for miles and miles!”

The rabbit’s ears twitched and he frowned, moving them around. “Uh oh! Morozov alert! Morozov alert!”

Jason quickly untied his apron, smile dimming.

“Go Jason, go! I’ll put your art stuff away!” The dragon said, taking his apron.

“Thanks Evgenia!” Jason ran out of the room. Jun gasped as Evgenia accidentally knocked off the pot of brushes, and he dived across the room to catch them.

Deep in the forest, a man with slicked back hair rode atop a horse through the trees. He pulled on the reins, stopping it, and he threw out a wave of green magic from his hand. The trees before him melted away to reveal a manor house, and he rode through the gap in the magic wall, just before it closed behind him.

Jason ran down the stairs, quickly fixing the placement of the cups on the tea tray as he ran past it towards the front door steps. He smoothed out the front of his shirt and relaxed. Evgenia and Jun watched from atop the staircase as the door opened.

“How was your ride today sir?” Jason asked, taking the gloves from the man. He walked past him with a firm frown on his face. He was dressed in fine clothes made from expensive silks and wools, and he had a ferret casually draped around his neck.

“Invigorating.” He said curtly. “I expect my tea in nine minutes.”

“Yes sir,” Jason said, still with a painted-on smile.

The man fixed him with a firm glare on the stairs. “Don’t repeat your errors of yesterday. You steeped that tea for six minutes. I said six and a half minutes, no more, no less.”

“Uh…” Jason wasn’t really paying attention. Behind Morozov, Evgenia and Jun were pointing under their eyes frantically. “Of… of course!”

“Oh, and bring me a snack!” The ferret perked up and said firmly. She caught sight of Jun and smirked, making Jason’s skin crawl. “Oh. Your little friend would do.”

Jun chuckled nervously, moving closer to Evgenia. She scooped him up and they both ran away from the area.

Morozov smirked before his smile fell. Underneath Jason’s left eye was a smear of blue paint, the same as the shade he’d painted the sky in his beach picture.

“What’s that?”

“U-uh…” Jason looked away, realising what Jun and Evgenia were trying to tell him.

“Painting again?” Morozov asked. “What about your duties?”

“I…I finished them…”

“Oh really.” Morozov raised an eyebrow at him. “Did you make the beds? Sweep the floors? Weed the garden?”

“Yes…” Jason mumbled carefully. Morozov’s frown darkened.

“Beat the rugs? Wax the table? Polish the silver?”

“Yes sir.” Jason said, a little more firmly.

“Wash and mend my clothes?”

“Folded and put away.”

Morozov’s top lip curled and he turned away, climbing the stairs slowly and deliberately. He stopped. One had creaked. He shifted his weight and it creaked again. He turned back to Jason, a cruel smile on his face.

“Listen to that. You’re supposed to keep the house in perfect order.”

“I-I didn’t know about—”

“It’s your job to know!” he snapped, shaking his head. Jason looked down at his feet as Morozov walked on up to his room. “I’ve taken care of you since you were a baby, and this is how you thank me? By frittering away your time painting?” He shook his head and Jason sighed, fiddling with his hands at the bottom of the stairs. “This is atrocious Jason.”

Jason sighed and followed him up the stairs, stopping in the kitchen as Morozov continued up to his room. He filled the large kettle with water and Jun hopped across the room with the tea leaves.

“I hope Morozov chokes on his tea.”

“Be nice Jun,” Jason chastised lightly. He chewed on his lip as he picked up the kettle and hung it on the hook over the fire. He picked up the poker, prodding at the wood, trying to warm it faster.

“Wait wait! I can do it faster!” Evgenia said, stumbling through the door. Jun and Jason exchanged a look and the man turned, holding up his hands.

“Just be very, very careful Evgenia.”

She took a couple of deep breaths and Jun covered his eyes with his ears. Jason winced as she blew out a small ball of fire that bounced across the tiled floor and into the fire, making no real difference to the size of the flame. Jason patted her shoulder gently with a soft smile.

“Nice job,” he complimented, and she perked up a little. She chuckled nervously, tail catching the tea tray and she accidentally sent it flying.

“Oh no!” Jun shouted. Jason gasped and Evgenia let out an exasperated noise.

The three chocolate chip biscuits fell down near Jun, and he caught them in his mouth, eating them hungrily. Evgenia jumped for the tray.

“I’ve got it!” She caught the lemon and Jason caught the rest of the tray, letting out a sigh of relief. “Don’t forget the lemon. Wait… Where’s the tea cup?”

The cup fell from the top shelf that it had so precariously landed on, and Evgenia caught it, tail knocking into one of the heads of the stone statues next to the fireplace. The head tilted down and, as Evgenia sighed in relief, the floor dropped down to reveal a hidden staircase.

“Now that’s downright spooky.” Jun said, hopping closer to Jason. Evgenia raised an eyebrow at him.

“What? You don’t think I’ve got moves? Cause I’ve got moves Jun!”

“What the… Ugh… Turn around Evgenia!”

She turned and jumped back from the set of stairs, gasping. “Well scratch my scales!”

Jason looked down them into the darkness, head tilted to one side. “I wonder where it goes.”

“Excuse me, but what about Morozov’s tea?!” Jun squeaked as Jason started down the stairs.

“We still have a few minutes!” Jason grinned at him as he carried on down the stairs. “Come on! Something great could be down here!”

“Oh yeah, sure, that’s very inviting.” Jun said with a deep frown.

“Y-you don’t think there are spiders down there?” Evgenia asked Jason, and Jun rolled his eyes. “C-cause… C-cause I’m not too fond of spiders, or beetles or snakes, I don’t like them either!” Still, she swallowed thickly and followed Jason down the stairs too.

“You’re worried about bugs and snakes?! What about what Morozov does to us once he finds out we’ve been down there?!” Neither of them listened to Jun and he sighed, hopping down the stairs. “Oh, for sure, oh yeah, lets go anyway! No one ever listens to the rabbit.”

Downstairs, Jason ran a finger across a table top, looking at the layer of dust covering everything from the table and chairs to the bookshelves and a large wooden chest. Jun watched from the doorway as Jason sighed.

“No one’s been down here in years.” He set down his candle and opened a chest full of scrolls, reading one, chuckling a little. “I can’t imagine Morozov attending all these balls.”

“I ask you,” Jun piped up from next to him, “who in their right mind would invite him to a party?”

Jason shushed him with a little smile, and Evgenia held up a picture behind them. The two people in the picture were holding hands, and one man was enamoured with the other man.

“Would you look at this?” Evgenia said with a little chuckle. “He’s sure gone mad for somebody. I wouldn’t want to be in his boots!”

Jun snorted, looking at the rip in the picture across the man’s face. “Or his head!”

Jason turned away with a soft smile, moving a book idly when he stopped, looking down at the beautiful box made of chestnut wood. He picked it up carefully, smiling.

“What a lovely old box,” he blew the dust off it, straight in front of Evgenia accidentally. She blinked, nose wrinkling a little.

“Ah… Ah…”

“Not down here Evgenia!” Jason said quickly. She let out a little cough and smiled at him.

“I’m okay.”

Jun poked his head out from behind a cabinet with a sigh of relief, and he hopped back over to them. Jason undid the latch and gasped as a soft tune started to play. Inside, placed in a silk lined interior, was a silver hairbrush. Jason lightly traced over it.

“It’s beautiful! There’s something engraved on the back.” He lifted it out and focused on the engraving. “Constant as the stars above, always know that you are loved. To our… Our son Jason on his first birthday…” his eyebrows furrowed a little and he and Evgenia both frowned, “with love forever, Mother and Father.”

Jason sat down, placing the empty box down next to him. “This doesn’t make sense. Morozov said I was abandoned when I was just a few days old. Why would he lie to me about that?”

“Why does the old man do anything other than to torment people?” Jun asked, throwing his arms up as he picked up a book.

“With love forever…” Jason traced then engraving again before he held the hairbrush close. Jun rolled his eyes lightly.

“More junk holders,” he blew the dust off several books Evgenia couldn’t hold in her loud sneeze.

“Achoo!” Small streams of fire were let out and a cabinet full of plates fell over, smashing them very nearly on Jun.

Evgenia chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head. “Oops…”

Jun coughed as he brought himself to his feet, brushing dust off himself. “Thanks Evgenia.” He grumbled quietly. She rolled her eyes at him.

“Jason?” the three of them gasped at the sound of Morozov’s voice.

“Oh boy, oh boy, hurry, get cleaning!” Evgenia mumbled to the group.

“Jason, where are you?”

“We’ll have to come back.” Jason whispered. “Coming sir!” He shouted, rushing up the stairs back into the kitchen with the hairbrush in his hand.  Jun and Evgenia exchanged a look as they started to clean up the mess that they had made.

Jason balanced the tray of tea and biscuits on one hand, knocking on the oak door of Morozov’s bedroom with the other. A gruff “enter” came from the other side, and Jason opened the door carefully. Morozov was sitting in his bed, cover pulled all the way up, and Jason placed the tray of tea down on the table next to him.

“What took you so long?” Morozov asked, bored. Jason poured him tea and held the cup out for him.

“I’m sorry sir, I was… uh… Distracted.”

“Lazy you mean,” Morozov rolled his eyes as he sipped at the tea, frowning. “Adequate.”

“Oh time time time! My master is ready for his beauty nap!” The ferret said, preening in the mirror. “Step to it.”

Jason closed the curtains for Morozov and then turned to him with a blank expression. “Will there be anything else?”

“No. Go. Don’t disturb me until dinner.”

“Yes sir,” Jason said, bowing his head politely before he walked out of the room. As soon as the door was closed, he broke into a run down to the other room below the kitchen.

“This doesn’t make sense,” he mumbled as he picked the hairbrush back up, tracing over it lightly. “Why would Morozov—”

Jun stamped is foot, slamming down the pile of books he was holding in front of Jason. “I’ll tell you what Morozov’s up to!”

“What?”

“No good, that’s what!”

“Thank you,” Evgenia said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she sorted a stack of books, “that’s very helpful.”

“Oh, I see a very big hairy spider,” Jun said with a glare at her. Evgenia shrieked and jumped up in fright. She hit a weak point of the wood and broke through the floorboards. Jun let out a shriek of laughter.

“Kidding!”

“Happy?” Evgenia glared at him. “How on earth are we going to fix this?!”

“Don’t worry,” Jason leaned over it, looking into the darkness. “We’ll think of something.” He stopped, frowning into the darkness slightly. He placed a hand in, feeling cool air. “Hm… That’s funny…”

Jason jumped down into the tunnel, holding his candle up to see in the dark better. The flame flickered slightly and he peered into the darkness.

“A draft? The tunnel must lead somewhere…”

Jason then considered it and lowered the candle, frowning slightly. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

“Now there’s the understatement of the seventeenth century,” Jun said softly to Evgenia. She nodded.

“Plus there’s probably bugs! Lots of bugs!”

“But, I’ve never been outside the magic wall!” Jason reasoned. “This is my chance! Maybe my only chance. I’m going!”

“Okay…” Evgenia said with a little sigh. “Count me in.”

“Nope nope nope you’re staying right here with me,” Jun said firmly, hopping next to her. She raised an eyebrow at him but pulled him into a little hug.

“I’ll be back soon then.” Jason said softly.

“We’ll be here…” Jun mumbled as Jason disappeared from under the gap in the floorboards. “Worrying…”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason held the candle higher as he walked through the tunnel, dodging low sections of ceiling and odd drips. The tunnel twisted and turned, and he followed it carefully. His candle was the only light source; there was an all-encompassing darkness before him and behind him. He spotted a spiral staircase up and, placing his candle near the base of it, he climbed up the stairs, heading for the light at the top of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,  
> I'm sorry it's been a couple of days since I last updated. I've not been motivated at all recently, and so, although I've had this chapter written for a little while, I couldn't bring myself to upload it or edit it. It's not how I would like it to be at all, so yeah, I'm sorry about that. Updates will definitely slow down now because a lot of stuff is happening/falling apart rapidly, and life wants to remind me that I still have other, less enjoyable stuff to do. I'll try to update at least once a week hopefully. Sorry.
> 
> Anyway, the chapter. Shoma makes an appearance, and he and Jason meet for the first time. Not much else I can really add, other than enjoy xx

Jason held the candle higher as he walked through the tunnel, dodging low sections of ceiling and odd drips. The tunnel twisted and turned, and he followed it carefully. His candle was the only light source; there was an all-encompassing darkness before him and behind him. He spotted a spiral staircase up and, placing his candle near the base of it, he climbed up the stairs, heading for the light at the top of them.

Jason emerged from between two rocks, gasping a little in shock as he spotted the castle and kingdom just over the hill. He followed it down and found himself in the town centre. Children danced around the street happily, and everywhere Jason looked was something new to experience and see.

“Good afternoon sir!” A baker held out a tray of freshly made cakes, offering one to Jason.

“No thank you,” he said politely with a little smile. The baker nodded to him as Jason carried on with his walk, taking in every little detail that he could. He watched a blacksmith work on a sword, hammering the hot metal into shape, before he continued with his walk, coming up to the beautiful castle. He walked into the gardens, transfixed by the beauty.

“What if he’s lost?!” Evgenia paced back and forwards in the kitchen. Jun sat in front of the fire, fiddling with his hands. “Or in trouble? What if he’s trapped all alone facing a wild ferocious beast?!”

Evgenia froze, picking up Jun. “Or worse! What if Morozov wakes up before he comes back?! Jun! What do you hear? Anything? Is he coming?”

Jun’s ears twitched and he frowned. “Uh… I’m getting… I’m getting… Nothing. Maybe if you move my right ear down a notch?”

Evgenia adjusted it, looking at him. “How’s that?”

“Wait, wait, I’m getting something! Here it comes! Uh, oh, it’s your father. He’s looking for you.”

Evgenia dropped Jun with a little shriek. Jun blew his ear out of his face.

From over the magic wall, a large purple dragon landed down next to the front steps of the manor house. Evgenia and Jun waited on the steps, and the dragon’s ears had drooped.

“Hello Father…” she mumbled softly, not looking at him.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been here playing all day?”

“Playing? Uh, no no no no not exactly. I was helping Jason!”

“Helping is it? Instead of practicing your skills. Let me see you at your fiercest!” Evgenia flinched back. “Breathe fire. Terrify me!”

Evgenia took a deep breath and blew. A small fireball bounced across the grass before it fizzled out. Jun covered his eyes and Evgenia chuckled nervously. Her father shook his head and sighed.

“And your flying. Show me how you can fly over the magic wall!”

“I was just going to do that, you know… Tomorrow!”

Evgenia chuckled nervously but shut up at the sharp glare her father gave her. Swallowing thickly, she flapped her wings and took off, climbing slowly into the air.

“Oh my God…” Jun covered his mouth, shaking his head.

“Don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down,” Evgenia repeated to herself as she climbed higher into the air, eyes firmly closed. She opened one eye and glanced down, letting out a scream of fear before she almost free-fell back to the ground. She slowed herself down just before she landed, hyperventilating.

“It’s high! O-oh it’s really… r-really high!”

“Too high for a mighty dragon?” Evgenia’s father turned and flew back over the wall with a frown. Jun bounced up to her and placed a paw on her leg.

“Does he ever smile?”

“Not around me.” She mumbled sadly.

Back in the kingdom, Jason walked through across a beautiful lawn towards some cherry blossom and apple trees. Two blue butterflies flew past him, with one landing on his finger for a moment.

“Woah boy, woah!” Jason looked up to see three little princesses riding a horse. They slid off and the first fed the horse something. “That’s my last carrot…”

“He still looks hungry!” The second pointed out with a little laugh.

“Here you go,” the third one held out her apple to him, and he devoured it quickly. Jason watched with a little smile as the first one perked up and gestured to the trees around them.

“Kaori, Mai, look! Enough for everybody!” She gestured to the apple trees before she took off running. One moment, there was a little girl running across the grass happily. The next moment, with a small scream, she’d disappeared from view.

“Rika!” Both of the other girls ran across to where she was. Jason followed them over in a panic.

The little girl was holding onto a branch, dangling over a pit of sharp thorns. “Help me!”

“Just hold on!” Jason said gently and as reassuringly as he could, “I’ll get you!”

“I’ll get help!” one of the girls was back on the horse and she galloped off towards the castle.

“Hurry Mai!” The other, Kaori Jason guessed, shouted. The man leaned down, offering Rika a hand.

“Grab on!”

She tentatively moved one hand, shaking her head out of fear. “I can’t!”

“Just let go with one hand and reach up,” Jason said calmly.

Rika gripped tighter with the other hand as she let go with one, reaching up. Jason caught hold of her hand and started to pull her up gently.

“That’s it!” he encouraged, helping her out of the hole.

Rika’s foot slipped on the edge and she fell back in, half pulling Jason with her. A pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist and tugged him and Rika back, safely onto the grass away from the pit. Jason let go of her hand and she hugged the man who had pulled Jason to safety.

“Rika,” he mumbled, smoothing out her hair gently. He looked up at Jason with a smile, and his breath caught in his throat. “Thank you for saving my sister.”

Jason’s heart fluttered at the man before him. He was shorter than Jason but stockier, and he had the messiest brown curls Jason had ever seen. When he looked up at him with large brown eyes from under them, Jason’s knees went slightly weak. His smile was also beautiful, and it lit up the rest of his face.

“A-and you, for saving me,” Jason replied courteously. The horse walked over to them slowly and brayed quietly as the other man helped Rika onto it. “I think he was worried about you,” Jason said, stroking his nose softly with a smile to Rika.

“He takes us everywhere,” Kaori explained.

“That’s why he’s always hungry.” Mai said.

“Come on,” Kaori said with a little grin. “Let’s go get those apples.”

Rika rode after the two other girls on the horse, smiling at her big brother as she did. Jason smiled lightly at him too.

“What beautiful girls.”

“On their good days,” the Japanese man rolled his eyes with a little laugh. “Have we met before?”

“I’ve… I’ve never been here before,” Jason admitted.

“Are you from Fernandez’s kingdom?”

“Who’s he?”

“The king who ordered _that_.” The other spat, pointing to the pit. Jason raised an eyebrow.

“Why would he do such a thing?”

“Fernandez claims that our king did something terrible to him years ago.”

“Did he?”

“No!” the other man almost looked offended. Jason held up his hands quickly.

“Well… If he didn’t do it, can’t the kings talk? Explain?”

“It’s too late for that. The only way to end the feud is through force.”

“That seems foolish,” Jason commented, “but I’m a pacifist I suppose…”

“You think it’s foolish?” the other asked, raising an eyebrow. The girls started to bicker and fight between themselves and the Japanese man rolled his eyes at Jason. “I’d better make sure they’re okay. I’ll be right back!”

Jason watched him run off towards his sisters and he sighed. The clock in the kingdom chimed and he gasped, looking up at the time.

“Oh no! How did it get so late?!”

Jason rushed off, back towards the tunnel, with one final look back at the greenspace. The Japanese man was leading the horse back to where Jason had been with his sisters sitting on the back of it. Unknown to Jason, as he ran off towards the tunnel, the ferret sat on the wall nearby, watching them.

“Where did he go?” Rika asked quietly as they looked around.

“I don’t even know his name…” the Japanese man said softly, looking at her sadly.

“Tell me again about the village, and don’t leave out a single detail!” Evgenia said, half bouncing around Jason in his room. He sighed with a soft smile.

“You should see it. All the people, the castle, the food,” Jun perked up at that, “but the best part was,” Jason continued, “I met somebody.”

In his own room, Morozov dabbed on some aftershave just as Sasha jumped up onto the back of his chair. She coughed and spluttered at the smell, getting his attention.

“Sasha.” The ferret jumped up onto the arm of his chair. “What are you doing here?”

“Just a little interesting news for you. I saw somebody today in the village.”

“And why should that interest me?”

“No reason,” Sasha smirked up at Morozov. “Just a certain man, with long brown hair.”

“What? Jason was in the village? But how?”

“He found the tunnel down below the basement, but that’s not the best part! He was talking to… uh…”

“The most handsome man I’ve ever seen!” Jason said, looking out of the window dreamily.

“And you’ve seen how many men before?” Jun pointed out.

“And he was kind and strong and—”

“So, what was his name?” Evgenia teased lightly. Jason’s face fell.

“I don’t know… I didn’t even ask!”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t catch that juicy little detail,” Sasha sighed. “Sorry.”

“I need to know who he is! I need his name! This could ruin everything!”

Jason danced around with Jun in his arms, grinning brightly. “Maybe tomorrow I can visit again!”

“Yeah, may—Uh oh! Morozov—”

The doors opened and Jason froze, holding Jun still

“—Alert….”

“Did we have a nice little trip today?” The man asked, and Jason’s face fell. He placed Jun down carefully next to him, and caught sight of Sasha’s cruel and cold smirk.

“Alexandra…”

“After all I’ve done,” Morozov fixed Jason with a glare as he walked into his room, “after all I’ve given you, this is how you repay me? By sneaking off?”

“I… But… I mean… Why did you never tell me about the village? And it’s so close by?”

“I did it for you,” Morozov paced past him at a careful, measured pace, “to protect you from the evil there.”

“But everybody was so kind?” Jason questioned.

“Yes, I’m sure they were. I heard you met someone special.” He looked over his shoulder, down his nose, at Jason. “Who was he.”

“I… I don’t know his name.”

“Liar!” Jason flinched back in shock with a gasp, stumbling over the seat at the end of his bed.

“I-I’m telling the truth!”

“I believe I said I want his name,” Morozov lowered his voice slightly. Jason swallowed his fear and sat up straighter.

“I already told you: I don’t know it!”

“Maybe I’m not making myself clear!” Morozov snapped at Jason.

Morozov glanced across the room and then smirked, raising a hand. Green magic rippled around his hand and a few of the canvases with Jason’s paintings on floated in the air. With a flick of his wrist, green sparks hit them from Morozov. The paintings exploded when the magic touched them, breaking into many pieces. He lifted up the next set of canvases.

“Don’t!” Jason held up an arm but green magic hit them too, destroying those canvases and paintings as well. “No!”

“When I ask a question, I expect an answer, boy,” Morozov lifted up Jason’s paints and paintbrushes, destroying them too.

“But he said he doesn’t know!” Evgenia protested before Morozov turned on them. She swallowed, looking away. “S-sir…”

“So, your friends are in on your secret, are they?”

Morozov raised a hand and Jun started to float, letting out a shriek of panic. Jason stepped in between them, blocking the magic. Jun fell back onto the seat with a little squeak too.

“Stop! Please, they don’t know anything!” he turned to Evgenia and Jun, “Go, go!”

Evgenia all but rushed out of the room and Jun hopped after her. The door was closed quickly and Jason turned to Morozov with a mix of confusion and a little betrayal on his face.

“Why are you doing this?” Jason asked, in almost a pleading tone. “You can’t keep me locked away from the world forever!”

Morozov’s glare at him darkened. “Watch me.”

He turned away from Jason and green magic filled the young man’s room. The walls elongated, extending the pattern of roses up the sides of them before the floor caught up. The door vanished, disappearing into the wall with green sparkles surrounding it, and Jason looked out of the window in horror as, what used to be a window out onto the walkway past his room, was instead the only entry and exit point of a very high tower.

“Sergei!” Morozov shouted, and Jason touched the wall lightly where the door had once been, shaking his head.

The purple dragon hovered by the window and Morozov climbed on, looking in at Jason with a cruel smirk. “Enjoy your time alone. I’m sure it will refresh your memory. When I come back, I want a name. In the meantime,” he gestured to the broken pieces of canvas scattered across the room, “clean up this mess!”

Jason turned away from him, sinking to his knees as he picked up canvas fragments with shaky hands.

“It appears our little Jason has an adventurous spirit,” Morozov said coldly to the dragon. “See to it that he stays put.”

“As you wish Sir,”

“Or else,” Morozov fired green sparks at Sergei’s back, earning a small grunt of pain and a wince from the dragon.

Back inside the tower, Jason wiped at his eyes furiously. Shattered fragments of the landscapes he’d imagined, of pictures of Jun and Evgenia together, of his old paintbrushes, were everywhere.

“Why…” he mumbled to himself, shaking his head. “Why?”

In the village, the prince that Jason had met before walked through the gardens with a soft sigh, bowing to some of the guards out of respect. He dodged an arrow, glancing over at the boy holding the bow with a little grin.

“Did you see that Sho? Did you? Almost a bull’s eye!”

“If you count me as a target Kaz.”

“I just can’t get it right though…”

Shoma looked up and patted his shoulder lightly. “I have to go and speak with Father now, but what do you say I help you practice later?”

“Really? Thanks, Sho! I’m so glad you’re my brother!”

In the throne room, Shoma bowed lightly to his father, who bowed his head back too in respect. “Did you find the gentleman who saved our Rika? I’d like to express my gratitude.”

“I’m afraid not, Father,” Shoma said with a little frown. “The guards and I searched the entire village.”

“Could he be a spy for King Javier?” The older man asked, frowning slightly.

“If he was, why would he risk his safety to save Rika?”

“Your Highness,” both men looked up to see a guard before them bowing. “There was no sign of Fernandez’s horsemen.”

“This cannot go unanswered!” the king slammed a fist down onto the arm of the throne, anger written across his delicate features that would make many jealous, even in his older years. “Tonight, I’ll lead my own raiding party! Be ready Shoma.”

The prince bowed his head, nodding. “Father… When do you think this feud will end?”

“When Fernandez pays for all his deeds.”

“But—”

“In a few days, you’ll turn eighteen, Shoma. One day, you’ll take over the kingdom, and it may be up to you to defeat him.”

Shoma bowed to his father and smiled slightly before he turned to go. The old king sighed and smiled at his son’s retreating figure.

“Go on Rika!”

“You’re the brave one!”

“Go on, ask him!”

“Cut it out!” Rika hissed at her two sisters before she turned to Shoma. “Um, Shoma? When are you going to see the man with the pretty long hair again?”

“Soon,” Shoma glanced out of the window before he smiled to his little sisters. “I hope.”

In the tower, with his long hair loose and in piles around the room, Jason lay asleep on his bed. From below the tower, he heard a faint shouting of his name. His eyes fluttered open and he sighed, standing up. There, at the bottom of the tower, was Shoma, calling for him.

“Come down!” the Japanese man said.

“I-I… I can’t!”

“Then I’ll come up!”

“How?”

Shoma was silent for a moment and Jason watched him carefully as he thought. “Let down your hair!”

Jason looped his hair around the pillar in the middle of the window and let it down. It stopped just above the ground, and Shoma tugged on it lightly, watching Jason’s reaction, before he started to climb up the side of the tower. The prince’s eyes softened and he sat on the edge of the window, swinging his legs in.

“You’re even more handsome than I remember…”

“How did you find me?”

“I searched everywhere,” Shoma confessed as he took Jason’s hands, squeezing them tightly.

A cackle pulled Jason out of his own head, and the tower melted away around them to reveal a huge Morozov standing before them. Holding Shoma’s hand, both turned to run, but were blocked by the giant. Jason was picked up and he struggled, fighting to get free.

“Let me go! Let me go, let me—”

Jason sat bolt upright with a start, shaking slightly as he looked around the room. No handsome stranger he’d met the say before. No Morozov. He touched his hair lightly, sighing in relief when he found it was tied back and not loose. He stood up, heading over to the window for some cooler air.

There, hovering just outside the window, was Sergei. Jason smiled at the dragon who only nodded at him with level eyes and flew off. The young man picked up the silver hairbrush on his table, looking up at the stars.

“Constant as the stars above, always know that you are loved. I’m going to be free one day.”

As Jason settled back down to sleep, he didn’t see the sparkles of white light from the stars themselves surround the hairbrush, turning it into a silver paintbrush instead.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the forest, two men on horses exchanged a worried look.
> 
> “Okay, listen Keiji, I’ve got news for you,” one of them said, looking around the dark forest full of looming trees, “we’re never going to find a handsome man with long brown hair in here.”
> 
> “No kidding Daisuke, but Prince Shoma can’t find him anywhere else!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hewwo! I'm back! With another chapter of these cuties!
> 
> In this chapter you get some Daisuke and Keiji being idiots action, Yuzuru being a Good King (TM), and Jun snacking. Not much else to add here other than a big thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and who have helped me to write this. This is for you guys xx
> 
> The dragon scene involving underwear is dedicated to K1mHeechu1. You know why

In the forest, two men on horses exchanged a worried look.

“Okay, listen Keiji, I’ve got news for you,” one of them said, looking around the dark forest full of looming trees, “we’re never going to find a handsome man with long brown hair in here.”

“No kidding Daisuke, but Prince Shoma can’t find him anywhere else!”

“I ask you though: what man would want to be out here in the first place?”

“Exactly!” Keiji replied, shaking his head with a frown. He froze, listening intently. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Daisuke asked.

_Something_ rustled through the bushes next to them, causing Keiji to shrink into his horse slightly. “That! That!”

“That’s nothing,” Daisuke rolled his eyes with a nervous chuckle. “Just sounds like something following us.”

His horse whinnied at him quietly, and he patted her neck gently. “What’s wrong girl?” A growl from behind made the hair on the back of their necks stand up. “Uh oh…”

A jet of fire came at them and they both let out very unmanly shrieks in terror as they ran off back towards the village.

“Dragon! Dragon!” Keiji shrieked out.

In the village, a cloaked man walked towards the baker, clearing his throat.

“Baker! Is there going to be a celebration?”

“Yes Sir, for the Prince’s birthday! Do you know how much baking that means? Two hundred cinnamon rolls! Three hundred strudel! Four hundred cream puffs! Not to mention a colossal birthday cake!” The baker hung his head with a sigh.

“Dragon! Dragon!” Both the baker and the cloaked man looked up in minor amusement at the two guards on horseback riding towards the palace. The cloaked man smiled slightly to the baker before he turned away and left.

Outside the palace, servants were laying out food and drink at a buffet. Shoma was eyeing up the pile of hot steaks hungrily as he paced around, thinking.

“Hi Your Highness!” Shoma looked down the stairs and smiled at Keiji and Daisuke.

“Did you find him?”

“Uh, no Your Highness. We were chased by a giant beast! A dragon! Fifty feet tall!” Daisuke held his arms out to show Shoma just how big it was.

“No, a hundred feet!” Keiji half shoved him out of the way to emphasise how much bigger it was than Daisuke had said.

“Yeah, what he said! Oh, and then it reared up its ugly head and blew fire breath at us! Twenty feet of boiling hot flames!”

“No, a hundred feet!”

“It was hot,” Daisuke said and he and Keiji smiled at the prince. “It was only because of our extraordinary courage and bravery that we escaped at all!”

“Exactly!” Keiji said with a grin. Shoma chuckled.

“Yes, I’m sure no one has seen a beast quite so terrifying. But did you find the man?”

The two guards exchanged a look and frowned before Daisuke spoke up again. “No sign of him Your Highness. If he did go in there, he must be… uh…” he drew his hand across his neck.

“I hope you’re wrong!” Shoma snapped before he calmed himself down again. “Uh… Please, help yourself to food and drink.”

“Thanks Prince Shoma!” Both Keiji and Daisuke ran up the stairs.

The Prince raised an eyebrow at them and had to hold in a snort as his father did a double take at the guards. The flames must have been very hot; the bottom of each of their suits of armour had melted through, revealing Keiji’s blue and white stripped underwear, and Daisuke’s white underwear covered in pink hearts. Shoma had to bite his lip to hold in his laughter.

Bells rung around the kingdom and Shoma and his father caught eyes with each other. They both ran to the stable and swung up onto their horses, riding out into the main parts of the village. Tables had been turned over and broken. Items of food, clothing, and other wares were strewn across the ground. Villagers held each other close in comfort.

The King and Shoma rode at the front, surrounded by guards, as they approached the villagers quietly.

“It was King Javier’s men, Your Highness,” the baker supplied. “I saw them slashing and destroying everything.”

Villagers began talking amongst themselves, but they fell silent as the king held up a hand.

“Attention, attention. This attack on our kingdom will not go unanswered. King Fernandez and his thugs will pay for their misdeeds, this I promise you all.” He turned to Shoma and lowered his voice, shaking his head. “Now do you understand? This is why we must stop Fernandez at all costs.”

The king turned and rode back towards the palace. Shoma followed him with a little sigh, and the guards turned too, riding after them.

The cloaked man walked through the ruined village, smirking at the destroyed sections of the kingdom. “Beautiful”, Morozov whispered to himself. “They’ll destroy each other for that’s neither’s fault.”

In the garden of the manor, Evgenia and Jun were picking red berries into a basket. Jun nibbled on way more than he actually put into the basket, and Evgenia raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do you think we have enough berries?”

“Oh!” Jun grinned sheepishly, dropping a handful into the basket. “I’m not sure.”

“Well, we would if you’d stop eating them!”

“Who said I’m eating them?” He picked one up and snuck it into his mouth, chuckling slightly.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute! It’s so simple! We bust him out!”

“And how do we do that?” Jun asked, eyebrow raised.

“I haven’t figured out that part yet.” She admitted. “At least we can bring him this.”

She started to squish the berries to make a paste with a smile.

“What are you doing?”

“Father!” Evgenia looked up in shock, gingerly removing her foot from the basket. “I-I’m trying to make paint. F-for Jason…”

“That boy is none of your concern.”

“But I just thought—”

“A dragon should be terrifying! Feared by all who see him! And what do you do? Fool around and play games!”

“But, what if, I mean, it’s just… I’m not so sure that I want to be all that terrifying. Or even scary! Or mean! Oh, definitely not mean!”

“Enough!” Sergei snapped. “Have you turned your back on our code of honour? For ages a mighty dragon has stood for power, courage, and loyalty.”

“I-I… I-I know Father… I-I’m sorry…”

He snarled and took off, shaking his head. Jun patted Evgenia’s leg lightly before he picked up the basket.

Evgenia flew up to Jason’s window with Jun and the basket on her back. “We’ve brought you something Jason!” Jun half sang.

Evgenia got through the window with a little smile and they placed the basket of crushed up berries in front of Jason. “See?”

“Here,” Jun pushed it towards Jason, “so you can start painting again!”

“There would have been more if Mister Berry Eater here hadn’t snacked on so many!”

“It was my snack time!” Jun defended as Jason picked up the basket.

“I-I… I don’t know what to say!” Jason smiled kindly at them.

“Oh! We forgot one teeny tiny detail! A paintbrush.” Evgenia’s ears dropped and Jun picked something up from on the windowsill.

“Oh! Well, what about this one?” He did a double take, reading the inscription on the side of it. “My eyes must be going. I could swear this used to be a hairbrush.”

Jason took the brush and studied the side, frowning slightly. “I don’t understand…”

“Well, what are you waiting for? Dip in!” Jun said happily.

Jason dipped the brush into the makeshift paint and glanced around the room, picking one of the walls next to his wardrobe. He ran the brush along the top, jumping back as a shimmering blue came across the space.

“How… How’d you do that?” Evgenia asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t know,” Jason said softly. “I was thinking of the blue sky, and there it was!”

He placed the brush on the wall again and green, lush grass appeared on the wall, filling in the spaces.

“Woah…” Evgenia and Jun said together.

“This time I was thinking of the grass in the village.”

“You don’t even need paint!” Jun then pouted at Evgenia. “I could have had more berries!”

Jason then painted on a waterfall before he added the little sections of the town, filling in every detail that he could remember. It took shape beautifully, and Evgenia and Jun stared at it with a smile.

“Show us all the places you went! I want to see them all!”

“Well… There’s the baker’s shop! And the main square! And a garden outside the castle!”

“Where, where?” Evgenia asked, stepping forwards. Her swishing tail knocked into Jun who fell into the painting.

Jason and Evgenia gasped as the painting shimmer around him, with half of him sticking out of it. Jason pulled him out quickly.

“I thought I was a goner…” Jun admitted, sitting down on the ground.

Jason traced the edge of the picture, watching the ripples it made, before he put a hand into the painting. He withdrew his hand and a bird was sitting on it.

“I have a good feeling about this.” Jason said softly as the bird set off.

“Are you crazy? You’ll walk into a blob of paint!”

“That’s better than being a prisoner,” Jason said quietly. He hugged Jun tightly and then Evgenia before he took a deep breath, pocketing the paintbrush as he closed his eyes and walked into the picture. It glowed around him before Evgenia and Jun found themselves staring at the painting once again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason closed his eyes as he was surrounded by a rush of colours. He sighed, relaxing a little when he heard flowing water and felt a breeze rustle through his hair lightly.
> 
> "Is that you?" Jason opened his eyes, spotting the man he'd seen before sitting under a tree nearby. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone! This chapter is kind of cute I guess? It involves Evgenia swearing (GASP) and Morozov swearing, and also more Shoma, so enjoy! Not much else I can add to this other than thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of this and who has enjoyed reading it xx

Jason closed his eyes as he was surrounded by a rush of colours. He sighed, relaxing a little when he heard flowing water and felt a breeze rustle through his hair lightly.

"Is that you?" Jason opened his eyes, spotting the man he'd seen before sitting under a tree nearby. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I've been... Uh..." Jason rubbed the back of his neck lightly with a little chuckle. "It's a long story I guess."

The man nodded and smiled. "I realised, well, I... Last time we met, I never even asked for your name."

"Jason!" He said brightly, bowing his head a little just out of respect normally.

"Jason." the other man repeated slowly. "My name--"

"Please!" Jason interrupted, holding up his hands. "Don't tell me."

The other man raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay... Why not?"

"It's just better that I don't know for now."

"You're so mysterious Jason," Shoma, the other man, chuckled. Jason pulled the silver paintbrush out of his pocket and handed it to Shoma.

"Can you help me to find the maker of this brush?"

The prince studied the side, squinting at the engraving. "Love forever Mother and Father. Don't your parents know?"

"I haven't seen my parents since I was a baby," Jason explained sadly, and Shoma handed him back the brush with a sad sigh.

"I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be, it's alright. But I'm hoping that whoever made this brush might know who they are."

"Well," Shoma said with a little chuckle, "I say we start with the silversmith, Mr Orser. He's got to be a good place to start, right?"

Jason nodded and let Shoma lead the way, falling into step easily beside him as they weaved through the village together. They passed the baker who, for some reason, bowed to the man next to Shoma before the shorter man shot him a glare that would have killed him if looks could kill. The man knocked on a door and, receiving a quiet "come in", they pushed open the door and entered a hot workshop.

"Oh, Your Hi--" Shoma waved his arms wildly, mouthing NO very obviously at the silversmith behind Jason's back. The silversmith nodded, carrying on. "Hi, hi, hi! Hello! How are you?"

Jason turned around, following the silversmith's eye line to see Shoma casually standing behind him, looking around the workshop.

"What can I do for you... Um... Gentle folk?" the silversmith asked. Jason approached him, holding out the paintbrush to them.

"I was wondering, sir, if you might recognise this?"

"Ooooh," the silversmith's face lit up as he took in the details. "I do! Look at the details on it! Very fine work!"

"You made it?" Jason asked, face lighting up. The silversmith's smile dropped and he shook his head.

"No, not me. My brother."

"That's wonderful! May I speak with him please sir?"

"I'm afraid not. I haven't spoken with him myself in years."

"Why not?" Jason asked, taking the brush back with a frown.

"The feud I'm afraid. He lives in Fernandez's kingdom."

"Can't you visit him there?" Jason asked, tilting his head. The silversmith gestured to Shoma and the shorter man stepped in with a sigh.

"No one has been back and forth between the kingdoms since the feud started."

Jason sighed, looking at the silversmith sadly. "You must really miss him Sir."

"More than I can say young sir. More than I can say."

Shoma looked down sadly, swallowing thickly.

"Do you think he's really there?" Evgenia asked as she and Jun stared at the picture on Jason's wall.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"I miss him already." She mumbled sadly.

"Don't get all blubbery on me," Jun joked before his ears twitched. His eyes widened in pure panic. "Ahh! No! Big bad Morozov on the horizon!"

Evgenia gasped, looking out of the window. "No! What are we going to do?! If Morozov finds out that Jason's gone, who knows what he'll do to my father?"

"Nothing more than he deserves given how he's treated you," Jun retorted. Evgenia kicked him lightly.

"Jun Hwan, come on, this is serious! We have to get Jason back!"

"In, what, three minutes? Cause that's how long it will take for Morozov to get here?"

Evgenia steeled her resolve and nodded firmly at the white rabbit. "I have to do something! For my father!"

Jun chewed his lip before he nodded. "Here's the plan then: I'll stall Morozov, and you find Jason."

Evgenia nodded slowly, thinking. "Great. You stall, I'll go. I like it, except for one thing."

Jun covered his eyes, shaking his head. "I'm going to become ferret food!"

"No! I can't fly over the magic wall! And I don't even know where the village is? How can I find him, I mean he went somewhere through there!" Evgenia pointed at the painting and Jun's face lit up with hope.

"There's your answer!"

Evgenia's eyes widened and she swallowed thickly, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Me. Go in the painting too. As in... As in me?"

Jun nodded seriously at her.

"I'm sorry you didn't find anything out about your parents," Shoma said softy as he and Jason walked through the palace gardens together. Jason shrugged lightly, still smiling.

"I'm not giving up! I know I can't give up! I've found a clue and I've got to do everything I can with that clue."

"Good," Shoma said with a nod before they walked a little further in silence. He glanced over at Jason and his heart fluttered lightly as he studied his jawline and profile. "So," he tried, stumbling a little over his words and his own feet as they walked. Jason placed a hand gently on his arm to stop him from tumbling over. "I... Um... Uh..." Shoma all but shoved a scroll into Jason's hands. "Here..."

Jason unrolled it, smiling a little at Shoma before he read it aloud. "You are hereby invited to a masked ball, in honour of the Prince's birthday," he looked up at Shoma, questioning him slightly.

"It's tonight. I would have given that to you sooner but... well... You're hard to find."

"You must be pretty important to be invited to the Prince's ball." Jason titled his head as he studied Shoma. The other chuckled, shaking his head.

"I don't know about that. My sisters don't think I'm very important."

"Your sisters are wrong then, aren't they?" Jason said with a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck lightly.

"Will you come?" Shoma asked softly, taking Jason's hand in his very shyly. The other's face lit up and he smiled brightly.

"I'd love to! It's just... I've never been to a masked ball before. What's it like?"

Shoma grinned at him. "See for yourself tonight! i'll pick you up at seven in my carriage!"

"No!" Jason said quickly before he smiled at Shoma, relaxing a little. "N-no..." He spoke a little more carefully. "I'll meet you there."

"Alright. I suppose I'll be able to recognise you behind a mask tonight though." Shoma chuckled to himself. Jason raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh you think so?"

"Your hair," Shoma gestured to the long locks tied back from Jason's face. "It's a beautiful giveaway."

Jason blushed and turned his face away from Shoma a little, but the other cupped his cheek gently with one hand, other holding his hand still. His eyes flicked to Jason's lips before they met his eyes once again. The prince chewed his lip lightly and his eyes fluttered, as did Jason's, as they both leaned in towards each other.

"Sergei!" Morozov shouted. "Come at once!"

"Hurry up!" Jun shoved Evgenia towards the painting.

"I'm going! I'm going!" She froze before the painting, shaking her head. "What the hell am I doing Jun?!"

"Not moving, that's what you're doing! Do you want him to kill your father or not?! Move woman!"

The rabbit gave her one more big shove into the painting before she disappeared and he hopped down the tube that led out of the tower.

Evgenia stumbled out of the painting, emerging from a shrubbery in the royal gardens. Jason and Shoma sprang apart quickly, with the prince's hand still holding onto Jason's. Evgenia tapped at her face lightly, chuckling slightly.

"I made it! I actually made it!" She giggled lightly, sighing with relief a little.

Shoma shoved Jason behind him and drew his sword, pointing it at Evgenia. "Stand back!"

"Wait!" Jason said quickly, stepping in front of Shoma. "She's my friend!"

"Watch it with that thing!" Evgenia pushed the sword aside quickly. "Someone could get seriously hurt you know."

"You're friends with a... a.... a dragon?!"

"Hey, the name's Evgenia, dickwad." She snapped, and Jason had to hold back a giggle. She gestured to Jason that she needed to talk to him.

Jason sighed and turned to Shoma with a sheepish grin. "I'll uh... I'll just be a minute..."

"What's wrong?" Jason asked Evgenia and she sniffled quietly, swallowing thickly.

"You have to come back with me Jason, please. If Morozov finds out you're gone, who knows what he'll do to my father?"

Jason's smile faded and he looked down at his feet, fiddling with the paintbrush in his hands. He caught Shoma smiling at him brightly and waved to the prince with an extra large smile on his face.

"I have to go! I'll see you tonight! I'll explain everything!" He promised before he and Evgenia turned and all but ran towards the village centre.

"I'll be looking for you!" The prince promised, waving to Jason with a sigh.

Jun let out a series of shrieks and screams as he slid down the tube, tumbling out onto the grass just outside of the tower, landing hard on his back with a wince.

"Oww..." He grumbled, pushing himself back up onto his feet. "That's going to do wonders for my back isn't it."

He spotted Morozov sitting down on Sergei's back and he let out a little shriek again of panic.

"W-wait Sir, please wait!"

Morozov paused, looking at the rabbit who sat in front of him like he was nothing more than a bug in the dirt. He raised an eyebrow at Jun, who started to panic.

"Please, I uh... See, um, what I've been needing is... What the fuck am I saying?" He mumbled to himself. 

"Spit it out rabbit!" Morozov snapped.

"It's... Um... My sciatic! It's killing me! Ow, I can barely hop! It's a miracle I can even get around at all!" If Jun had a talent, it was whining at Morozov to annoy him. "There's nothing more pathetic than a hopeless rabbit Sir, really!"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Morozov grumbled, tapping Sergei's back as the dragon started to take off.

"I need a tonic to cure me!" Jun whined, jumping up and grabbing hold of Morozov's shoes. "Owww, it hurts! Ouch, the pain is horrible!" He didn't dare glance down in fear.

"How on earth are we going to get back in time?" Jason asked as they half ran through the palace gardens. He and Evgenia exchanged a look, both of them grinning, as he pulled the paintbrush out of his pocket.

"Paintbrush!" They said together brightly. Jason ran down a set of stairs as Evgenia flew down them, stopping by a door.

"I'll... I'll come back and clean it up later," Jason promised her as he stared at the back of a wooden door set into a brick wall, blocking off a tunnel. He touched the paintbrush to it, and the image of his window in the tower filled the door.

"N-no no, not yet!" Jun whined as Sergei flew higher and higher, taking them up. "Let's talk! We don't talk enough! You know, like in the older days."

Morozov snapped and picked up Jun off his feet, holding him up by his ears. "You're useless Rabbit. Shut up."

"Give him to me!" Sasha said with a little purr at the end of her voice as she eyed Jun up. "I'll leave you the lucky rabbit's feet."

"These?" Jun pointed at his feet, shaking his head. "Oh, no no, you don't want these, oh no. I come from a long line of unlucky rabbits, you know. Trust me. I mean look at these feet! Corns, bunions, ingrowing toe nails. They're a real mess."

Morozov raised an eyebrow at him before he smirked, letting go of Jun's ears. He watched the rabbit fall with a chuckle, and a tree broke Jun's fall. The rabbit bounced from branch to branch with a little shriek and landed harmlessly on the ground, surrounded by leaves. He swallowed, fear rising inside him as he looked up at the window of the tower.

"I hope this works," Jason mumbled as he and Evgenia walked into the door, disappearing in a flash of golden sparkles. The door opened as well, revealing the tunnel, but there was no one on the other side.

"So Sergei," Morozov said as he glared at Jason and Evgenia, who were stood in front of Jason's wardrobe, "I see that your daughter is with Jason once again."

"Evgenia isn't doing anything wrong!" Jason defended her, stepping in between Morozov and Evgenia.

"I guess a foolish and scared little dragon isn't much to worry about."

Sergei snarled and Evgenia wrinkled her nose, trying not to cry.

"So Jason," Morozov said with a little frown and a glare at him, "I presume that your memory has improved. Are you ready to tell me who you met?"

"I'm telling you, I don't know," Jason said firmly, shaking his head. Morozov tutted, shaking his head.

"Fine," He snarled, "rot here for all I care."

"You should watch that daughter of yours," Morozov said, shaking his head, "She's a little too friendly for my taste."

"Yes Sir," he said, taking Morozov away from the window. Jason turned and hugged Evgenia tightly.

"You saved my father," she mumbled, rubbing his back lightly. He nodded, swallowing sadly.

"For now," he pulled back, shaking his head. "But I can't stay."

He and Evgenia pushed the wardrobe back to reveal the painting that they had hidden behind it. He studied the painting before he turned to Evgenia with a sigh. 

"We all have to go! I'm going to leave tonight. And you have to convince your father to go too. Somewhere where Morozov can't find you two..." 

Shoma walked with his father for a moment along one of the undercover bridges of the palace, connecting sections of the palace. He fiddled with his hands, looking away from his father for a moment.

"I've been thinking, Father, about my birthday..."

"Yes?" he prompted softly.

"I would like permission to invite King Fernandez."

"What?" His father's smile fell to a frown instead. "Are you mad Shoma?"

"Well, maybe," he shrugged nervously, "but lately, well, I've been thinking, this feud has gone on for as long as I can remember. Families have been separated brother from brother, and--" 

"Shoma, King Fernandez is our sworn enemy." 

"And it will always be that way unless we try to change it! Someone has to make the first move to forgive!" Shoma argued hotly. 

"No," his father shook his head with a frown. "Impossible." He turned to go, pausing only to look at Shoma with a level look, head held high with the elegance of a graceful leader. "When you're older, you'll understand Shoma."

Shoma watched his father go back into the palace with a sigh, shaking his head.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in the tower, as the sun started to set over the horizon, Jason hummed a little as he looked down at his plain shirt and trousers in the mirror. "I don't think these are really right for a masked ball..."
> 
> "Maybe you could do them up?" Evgenia suggested, and Jun nodded next to her enthusiastically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here's more Shason content for you! Enjoy some Jason trying on different costumes! Guess which costumes of his I've based these on if you want, and please enjoy the chapter :)

Back in the tower, as the sun started to set over the horizon, Jason hummed a little as he looked down at his plain shirt and trousers in the mirror. "I don't think these are really right for a masked ball..."

"Maybe you could do them up?" Evgenia suggested, and Jun nodded next to her enthusiastically.

"Hm..." Jason hummed, holding up his paintbrush. "I wonder..."

He walked over to another blank wall in his room and painted a blue shirt and blue trousers that had white lines running down them. He stepped into the wall, disappearing with a few sparkles before he emerged in the costume. "What do you think?"

"Beautiful! Handsome! Lovely!" Evgenia said, and Jason looked in the mirror. He chewed his lip thoughtfully before he shook his head.

"I think it's too simple."

"Then get busy and paint another one!" She said firmly, chuckling a little.

Jason nodded and painted around himself, changing the bottom of his blue shirt into a black section with a black belt around his waist. He painted his sleeves over, changing them from blue to white with a wave of sparkles. Evgenia and Jun exchanged a grin before Jason turned to face them, wearing a shirt that was half black and half white, and a pair of dark mustard coloured trousers. He grinned at the pair and Evgenia wrinkled her nose a little.

"Um... That's... That's a bit much..."

Jason turned back to the mirror and tried again, running the paintbrush over his clothes again. He turned the clothing, in a flurry of sparkles, into clothing made up of red and white stripes, and a block of solid blue with white stars on it.

"How about this one?" He asked, and Jun raised an eyebrow at him.

"Uh, definitely ahead of its time!" he piped up, and Evgenia nodded, rubbing her chin lightly.

"Yes, yes I think so."

Jason nodded before he looked back at the mirror again, frowning a little. His eyes lit up a little and he smiled brightly, painting over himself again. He was surrounded by white light as he painted around himself, and Evgenia and Jun had to shield their eyes from the bright light.

Sasha, from by the opening of the tube Jun had slid down earlier, spotted the bright light in the tower and smirked to herself as she climbed up into Jason's room.

The sparkles died down a little and Jason spun around with a smile, looking in the mirror with a soft sigh. "This is the one."

He was dressed in soft, velvety black trousers and had a decorative belt with gemstones on. The shirt was green and had a little gold edging around the dipped neck, and had golden strips connecting the two sections of the neckline.

"You're beautiful Jason!" Evgenia said softly, "No, no no, gorgeous! No, magnificent!"

"Absolutely lovely," Jun commented with a little sigh as he watched Jason smile into the mirror.

Sasha smirked from where she was sitting on Jason's dressing table, spotting the invitation scroll. She stole it and dragged it to Morozov's room with a little smirk. He unrolled it and read it. His eyes flashed with fury and he threw it across the room, standing up in outrage.

"What the fuck!"

"It is bad, isn't it?" Sasha mumbled, shaking herself off from where she'd fallen on his chair.

"After all these years, after all I've planned.... It must be that _boy_ he met!"

"Who else, right?" Sasha said with a little chuckle. 

"I refuse to let a love-sick fool ruin everything." Morozov vowed to the ferret.

"Any specific plans, or just general pain and anguish?"

"Pain! Anguish! And perhaps a trim." Morozov mused as he looked at the invite.

"I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Jason said with a sigh as he looked in the mirror again with a little sigh.

"Really?" Jun asked, and Jason turned to see the rabbit holding up a mask. "Who ever heard of going to a masked ball without a mask?"

Jason took the green mask with a bright smile. "You guys made this for me?"

"Do you see anyone else here dressed for a ball?" Jun asked before his ears twitched. He gasped, looking towards the window. "It's--"

"Look at that," Morozov said with a smirk that made Jason's skin crawl as he stepped into the room from Sergei's back. "You do look lovely in your party clothes Jason. It's just your hair. It's not quite right."

Jason narrowed his eyes at him, and Evgenia covered her mouth. Morozov sent out a wave of green magic that cleanly sliced Jason's hair off, cutting it very short. He scooped up the rest, holding it over his arm.

"No!" Jason's eyes widened as he saw his hair, feeling his head to touch the rough cut ends.

"Now now," Morosov said in a condescending tone. "It's only hair after all."

Jun hissed at him and jumped forwards with a glare on his face. "You are the lowest, meanest, nastiest--"

"Sasha," Morozov grinned at the ferret, "he's all yours."

The ferret leapt and Jun, and the rabbit jumped up into Evgenia's arms out of the way, glaring at Sasha. Jason stepped up to Morozov, shaking slightly.

"No, don't hurt him. It's me you want, but why. I still don't understand..." he trailed off, eyes widening in fear, as a butterfly fluttered out of the painting and past Morozov's ear, catching his attention.

The older man turned and studied the painting for a moment, waving his hand by the edge of it. Green magic collided with the magic of the painting, making it ripple slightly.

"There's magic around this." He said, eyebrows raised at Jason. He glared at him before he hit the painting with a blast of green magic, destroying it and removing it in a cloud of black particles like soot.

"Oh..." Evgenia's face fell and Jason lightly touched the wall where the painting once was. Morozov turned to Evgenia and Jun with a face like thunder.

"And you two! You're mixed up in this somehow! Out!"

Evgenia exchanged a look with Jason and he nodded towards the window quickly.

"Out!" Morozov repeated, and Evgenia ran to the window, flying out with Jun in her arms. 

Jason watched them go with a heavy heart when he heard the telltale signs of Morozov's magic. He turned back and gasped when he saw his silver paintbrush hovering in the air above the man's hand. The older man smirked at his magic shattered the brush, breaking it into pieces by Jason's feet.

"Sergei, come here!" He shouted out of the window. He climbed onto the back of the dragon with the long hair over his arm, and glared at Jason inside the tower. "One more chance Jason. Who's the boy? Tell me his name!"

"I don't know it! Jason pleaded.

"Then live with your lies! Forever!" He snapped. Morozov held out his hand and it started to glow green dangerously. " _Tower, tower, do your part. Never release the prisoner with a lying heart. And while these words are spoken, this fearsome spell can never be broken!"_ Morozov dissolved into cackles as the tower was surrounded by green magic. Jason stared out of the window before he shook his head and was forced to look away, tears in his eyes. 

Sergei landed by the base of the tower and Morozov climbed off, hair still over his arm. "Sergei, you disappoint me. Your daughter is a disgrace. She's more loyal to her friends than to her master."

"She's still young," Sergei said gently with a touch of a smile, "she'll learn."

"Or maybe," Morozov fixed him with a cold stare. "Maybe it's her father who doesn't know where his loyalties lie." He waved his hand and a chain made of green magic wrapped itself around Sergei's neck, connecting to the wall of the tower. The dragon looked at the chain in shock and disgust before he started to pull on it.

"What on earth are you doing Morozov?!"

"Ensuring I have time to deal with you later." Morozov grinned to Sasha. "Right now I'm planning a little dance with Jason's mysterious suitor."

"No!" Jason leaned on the windowsill, getting as close as he dared to the green magic that hovered around the outside of the tower. "No!"

"We will attack from the West Wall," a king said sharply to one of his guards as he surveyed a map in his study. The guard nodded, saluting to him.

"As you wish King Javier," the guard said back. "I've prepared our troops."

"I can never forgive him for what he's done," Javier responded, glaring at the map. "Yuzuru Hanyu will pay, once and for all, for what he did. And what better night than his own son's birthday celebrations?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By the palace, carriages pulled up and men and women in expensive dresses, suits, and masks stepped out, chatting quietly to each other. A man checked their scrolls and let them into the palace, where they walked down the long hallways into the main ballroom. People were mingling and some were dancing together underneath the white and red flags of the kingdom hanging from the ceiling.
> 
> “Don’t you just love it?” Rika sighed as she leaned on the railing, looking down from where she, her sisters, and Kazuki were watching the ball.
> 
> “Everything is so beautiful up here,” Kaori agreed with a smile.
> 
> “I’d rather read a good book.” Mai admitted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone! I have been focusing wayyyy too much on this and not enough on actual work, but who cares because this is fun and I love it. 
> 
> More of both Jason and Shoma here, so enjoy it!! Nothing else I can say other than enjoy and I'm sorry for where I leave this chapter

By the palace, carriages pulled up and men and women in expensive dresses, suits, and masks stepped out, chatting quietly to each other. A man checked their scrolls and let them into the palace, where they walked down the long hallways into the main ballroom. People were mingling and some were dancing together underneath the white and red flags of the kingdom hanging from the ceiling.

“Don’t you just love it?” Rika sighed as she leaned on the railing, looking down from where she, her sisters, and Kazuki were watching the ball.

“Everything is so beautiful up here,” Kaori agreed with a smile.

“I’d rather read a good book.” Mai admitted. Kazuki frowned, looking out over the ball.

“Where’s Shoma?”

“Um…” Rika pointed past him to near the doorway out into the gardens. “Over there!”

Shoma paced anxiously and his father slid through the crowd gracefully, stopping next to him with a soft smile.

“Son,” he mumbled softly, smiling as Shoma turned around to face him, “why aren’t you out dancing?”

"I'm waiting for someone," Shoma mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck shyly as he looked down at his feet. His father raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Oh? What makes this man so special?" 

"Well, he likes me, not my crown. He doesn't even know that I'm the prince."

His father smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Is he the one who saved our Rika?"

"He is, yes."

"I'd love to meet him," His father said with a soft smile.

At the tower, Sergei strained against the chain, tugging on it relentlessly. The magic didn't let up, however, and he pulled uselessly at the chain, pausing only to gasp for breath. Evgenia approached him nervously.

"Father..." she mumbled softly and he looked up at her with a glare. 

"I expected more from you Evgenia."

"You don't understand Father; Jason helped to save you--"

"Look at me, Evgenia," he snapped, tugging against the chain. "I'm chained liked a common dog because of you and your friend."

Inside the tower, Jason scooped up the shattered pieces of the paintbrush, wiping away his tears quickly.

Outside the palace, a masked man with long brown hair stepped out of a carriage, handing the footman the scroll inviting them to the party. The man smirked a little as he was let into the palace, climbing the stairs slowly as his long hair swayed behind him. He was let into the ballroom and he milled around, making eye contact with everyone he could, tilting his head at a few who looked at him curiously.

"Yes, I hope so," Shoma mumbled, ending his conversation with a young lady as he smiled up at the masked man with long hair. "Jason!"

The masked man looked up at the prince, smirking a little, before he walked away.

"Jason, wait!" He waved to the young lady before he followed the masked man out into the gardens, running after him into the maze in the gardens. "Where are you going?"

The masked man said nothing; he only dashed around in the maze, drawing Shoma into the centre of it.

"Where on earth are we going?" Shoma asked with a light chuckle, following him further into the centre, smiling as they stopped in the middle. "The masked man finally stops."

The man raised a hand, removing a hairpin from the back of his neck, and the long hair fell to the ground. Shoma's eyes widened and he stared in shock as the man pulled off his hat and mask, looking at the prince innocently.

"Don't I please you Prince Shoma?"

"I-I... I don't understand... I thought you were--"

"Jason. Yes." he chuckled lightly, poking the ferret awake. "Unfortunately he's not coming."

The ferret jumped off, landing next to the hair with a cruel smirk.

"His hair..." Shoma's gaze hardened and he looked up at the man coldly. "Who are you?"

"I'm the one who's going to teach you not to meddle with my plans." the man snapped, throwing a handful of green magic at him. Shoma ducked out of the way, running towards the entrance of the maze again, dodging shots of green magic hurled at him.

"Zap him!" Sasha shouted. "Fry him! Puree him!"

Back at the tower, Sergei strained harder against the chain before he gave up, resting his head on his front legs sadly. Evgenia sighed sadly.

"He won't listen to me!" She groaned out in frustration. Jun raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're going to let a little thing like that stop you?"

"I wish Jason was here." Evgenia mumbled sadly.

"If he was here," Jun tilted his head at her, "what would he tell you, huh?"

Evgenia paused, thinking for a moment. "That he loves me!"

"So..." Jun gestured to Sergei. Evgenia flew over to him nervously, swallowing down her fear as she stopped in front of him.

"F-father... Please, I... I have to tell you something!"

"No!" Sergei stood up, glaring at her firmly, "Nothing more from you Evgenia!"

"I..." She swallowed thickly and narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm going to tell you anyway! Jason saved your life and you didn't even know it! He was free, and he came back here because I asked him to!"

"What?" Sergei asked, eyes widening.

"He came back so that Morozov wouldn't destroy you, Father!"

Sergei eyed her sceptically.

"It's true!" She pushed on quickly. "It's true, I swear! We have to help him escape from the tower! Please Father, please!"

"I-I... I didn't know..." he half whispered before he pulled against the chain to no avail again. "I wish we could help him Evgenia, but it's impossible. I've served under Morozov for many years and his spells are unbreakable."

"I won't give up!" Evgenia said hotly, looking up at Jason's window.

"A mighty thought," Sergei said softly, looking at his daughter with a new look in his eyes.

"Jason doesn't deserve to be trapped like this!"

Sergei thought before his ears perked up and he smiled at his daughter. "Evgenia, the spell only traps a prisoner with a lying heart."

"But Jason.... Jason isn't a liar!" She smiled brightly, looking up at the window with wide eyes and a wide smile.

"If that is so..."

"Jason! Jason!" The young man looked up to see Evgenia hovering outside of his window with Jun on her back. "You haven't been lying to Morozov! So my Father thinks that his spell can't stop you!"

"Huh?" Jason stood up, looking at her for a moment. "What did Morozov say? Never release your prisoner..."

"With a lying heart!" Evgenia supplied helpfully. Jason's eyes widened.

"Sergei may be right! Okay... Okay..."

The young man stood on the window sill and steeled himself, looking out at where Evgenia hovered. Jun covered his eyes quickly.

"I can't look!"

Jason took a deep breath before he smiled at Evgenia nervously. “Here we go…”

He pushed himself out, gliding through the green magic barrier as if it wasn’t there, before he landed neatly on Evgenia’s back, smiling at her. She and Jun grinned and the rabbit hugged him tightly as she flew down, letting them both off her back, landing in front of Sergei.

“Thank you Sergei,” Jason smiled at him. The older dragon bowed his head to him.

“I understand it is I that must thank you.”

Jason smiled before he looked at the magic wall, swallowing his fear. “We have to get to the ball. But how?”

Sergei looked at Evgenia before he looked over the wall. She gulped nervously.

“B-but…. But it’s still so high…”

“Evgenia, do you believe that a mighty dragon could fly over the wall?”

“Of course,” she half chuckled at her father’s words. He smiled at her kindly.

“Then believe you can do it Evgenia, for you are a mighty dragon.”

“M-me?”

“What makes might?” Sergei looked at her lovingly. “It’s more than power. It is also courage and loyalty. You have never swerved in your devotion to your friends, no matter the danger. I can see now that you truly are a mighty dragon Evgenia, and I am proud of you.”

He nosed at her gently, smiling as she hugged his neck tightly. He pushed her away lightly, looking at her seriously. “Now, go.”

“B-but… But what about you?”

“Don’t worry; I’ll be fine. Now go. Go!”

Evgenia nodded and allowed Jason and Jun to climb and settle onto her back.

“Watch the bumps! I get ill easily!” Jun said softly as she took off, climbing into the air.

Evgenia swallowed, glancing down for a moment before she hovered, half frozen with fear. “You can do it Evgenia,” Jason encouraged softly.

“I am a mighty dragon,” she whispered to herself as the top of the magic wall came into view. Sergei watched from on the ground, heart swelling with pride. “I am a mighty dragon!”

She fluttered over the wall, soaring with Jason and Jun on her back. The three of them gasped as they saw the rolling hills and flowing streams, lit up by the light of the moon.

“It’s so beautiful up here.” Evgenia whispered to herself. Jason patted her back lightly.

“I knew you could do it,” he whispered, and she took off towards the palace. “Please be alright. We’re coming!”

Shoma ran past a cart full of food, ducking the blast of green magic sent at him. It hit the cart, throwing a bottle onto Sasha’s head.

“Hey! Get this off! This isn’t funny!” She shrieked, running around trying to pull her head out of the bottle.

Morozov wrinkled his nose and raised a hand, throwing more green magic at Shoma. The prince reflected it with a metal tray, stumbling under the force of the magic. The green magic swirled around Morozov’s hand, disappearing and not hurting him at all. He cackled and Shoma took off again, rushing down the hallway. Just as Morozov prepared to shoot more green magic at Shoma, an arrow pinned his sleeve to the wall and his magic hit one of the palace walls, causing no damage.

“Nobody hurts my brother!” Kazuki said, another arrow in the bow ready to fire. “Nobody!”

Fruits hit Morozov and he turned to see the three princesses throwing fruit at him, shouting encouragement to each other.

“Master!” Sasha shouted, head still stuck in the bottle. “I could use a little help here!”

Morozov pulled the arrow, shaking his head and wiping the fruit off his face. “To think that some people actually adore children. They’re out of their minds!”

He shot green magic at the princesses, nearly hitting the top of Rika’s head as she and her sisters ran down the hallway. He then turned to the younger prince; the young man’s eyes widened.

“Uh oh…” he mumbled to himself as Morozov smirked, green magic gathering by his hands.

“Kaz!” Shoma tugged him out of the way of the shots of magic, letting out a small sigh of relief as he held his brother safely.

Shoma threw an empty wine glass up, knocking one of the flags down onto Morozov to distract him. Sasha pulled the bottle off her head and shrieked, looking at her reflection.

“Oh no! I look terrible! And this is a formal occasion!”

Outside the front of the palace, the guards were both grabbed from behind, tied together, and gagged as King Javier and his men flooded the palace hallways, opening the doors to the ballroom. Shoma’s father looked up and gasped, eyes widening.

“Javier… Guards! Guards!”

“Save your breath Yuzuru!” Javier drew his sword as the other king drew his own, parrying a blow.

The two kings engaged in a sword fight, swinging for each other as they lunged and parried blows, giving and receiving blows in equal measures. The guests all ran shrieking out of the room and out of the palace towards their carriages and home. Shoma ran into the ballroom, gasping as he saw his father in a fierce duel. He spotted two guards approaching the king from behind, and he pulled a sword from the wall, intercepting them. He kicked one away before he pushed the other back with his sword, rushing over to help his father.

Yuzuru’s sword was knocked from his hand and Javier pointed his sword firmly at his chest, eyes narrowing in pure anger and hatred. “Surrender Yuzuru!”

“Javier…” Morozov breathed out in shock, staring at the king.

“No Father! You can’t surrender!” Shoma stepped in between the kings, sword raised as it clashed with Javier’s sharply. Morozov’s green magic collided with their hands, knocking the swords out of them, before he also hit two guards with the magic, throwing them back.

“So again,” Morozov paced, eyes fixed firmly on Javier, “we meet at a ball.”

“Morozov?” Javier narrowed his eyes at him before he raised his eyebrows in surprise, “Is that you? What on earth are you doing here?”

“I came to clean up some loose ends.”

“You know him?” Shoma looked between the two in confusion. “Who is he? He tried to kill me!”

“I knew him once long ago. We were friends of some sort.”

“Friends? Friends?! You loved me Javier! I know you did!”

“No Morozov,” Javier sighed, pushing back his curls lightly under his crown. “I never loved you.”

“And for that, you will pay once again!” Morozov shouted, hitting the king with a wave of green magic. Javier slipped over, looking up at him in confusion as Shoma offered him a hand to help him up.

“Pay again? What are you talking about?”

“Let me as you something Yuzuru Hanyu. You hate this man. Why?”

Yuzuru glared at Javier sharply. “He attacked my kingdom without call!”

“You stole my son!” Javier shouted back, almost nose to nose with Yuzuru. The younger king didn’t back down.

“No, I didn’t! For the thousandth time I never stole him!”

“No,” Morozov cut in, an evil smirk on his face, “I did.”

Javier froze before he very slowly turned to face Morozov. “What…?” Yuzuru turned to face him too before he looked between the other men.

“He would have been my son if you had just loved me. I simply took what was mine.”

“You took Jason?” Javier stepped towards him, mind racing. “Where is he Morozov? Tell me! Tell me now! You monster!”

“What’s the matter?” He hit Javier with another wave of green magic, knocking him halfway across the room. Shoma ran to help him up. “You’ll never see him again!” Morozov cackled.

Javier sat up slowly, eyes downcast in sadness. “My beautiful little boy.”

Shoma pulled him to his feet, whispering to him frantically. “I’ve seen him!”

“Where?” Javier’s eyes lit up. “When?”

“Now don’t you realise what a fool you were Javier? You could have had so much. You should have loved me!”

“You don’t know what love is Morozov,” Javier put himself firmly between Shoma and Morozov.

“I’m finished with you,” Morozov spat. “All of you!” He raised a hand, green magic gathering on it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No!” He stopped, turning to see Jason standing in the doorway. “No more!”
> 
> “It can’t be…” Morozov breathed out, looking him up and down. “Impossible…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so here's the last chapter. Thank you so much for making it this far and for reading. I hope you all enjoyed it. Sorry this ending is so short. Please enjoy xx

“No!” He stopped, turning to see Jason standing in the doorway. “No more!”

“It can’t be…” Morozov breathed out, looking him up and down. “Impossible…”

“You kept me locked up my whole life because you hated my father?!”

“He deserved to suffer as I did,” Morozov spat, looking at a very confused Javier.

“No,” Jason said firmly, “No more suffering, Morozov, for anybody!”

“My my,” he chuckled slightly. “You think you can stop me?”

“Maybe not alone,” Jason turned to Evgenia with a little smile, “but with the help of a mighty dragon.”

“Mighty dragon?” Morozov snorted with laughter. “I see a snivelling goose!”

“Oooh, so scary!” Sasha popped up from a vase, chuckling at them. “Did you bring your rabbit friend along too because,” she whipped out two forks with a grin, “I’m ready for an appetiser!”

“Fire away Evgenia!” Jun shouted and she blew a thick stream of fire across the room, covering Sasha with soot. The ferret let out a shriek as she looked down at herself.

“I was just leaving!” She ducked down, hiding in the vase. Jun laughed loudly, holding his stomach.

“You’re number one in my book Evgenia!” He commented and she chuckled.

“Jason,” Morozov cut in, “you and your friends won’t live to see the next sunrise!” Green magic gathered by his hands again.

Shoma shoved a vase into his legs, knocking him back. The magic hit one of the chandeliers instead, knocking it from the ceiling. It caught on fire, spreading it across the floor of the ballroom, and separating Shoma and Jason.

“Run Jason!” Shoma shouted. “Go!”

“Hurry!” Jason said to Jun and Evgenia. “You both know where!”

The three turned tail and ran out of the ballroom. Morozov dusted himself off and chased after them, with Sasha running along behind him. Jason made it down the steps of the palace gardens before green magic was blasted past him, nearly catching his shoulders.

“Please Morozov,” Jason dared to turn and face the man with a pleading look, “we can all start over! I forgive you for all those years. No more hatred, please!”

“And be made a fool of? Never!” Morozov snapped, firing more green magic at Jason. The young man darted behind a door quickly.

“Now!” He shouted, and he, Jun, and Evgenia slammed the door shut. Morozov couldn’t stop himself; he slipped into the painting of the tower Jason had made earlier.

“Master? Wait for me!” Sasha shouted, jumping in after him quickly.

The tower glowed as Morozov appeared in it, gasping. “It can’t be!” He shouted to himself.

Sergei’s chain made of magic dissolved and the dragon was freed. The magic wall also disappeared, forming small clouds of purple smoke that vanished. Morozov walked over to the window and poked the green magic lightly, receiving a small electric shock. He glared at the green magic.

“Magic spell upon the tower, I command you to lose your power!” He threw green magic into the wall, but it just vanished into thin air. Morozov touched the magic again, earning another shock. “No!” He leaned on the window sill as far as he dared, shouting out into the night. “Sergei! Sergei! Get me out of here!”

“I can’t,” the dragon said gently, hovering by his window, “you said that the one with a lying heart will be imprisoned forever. Jason never lied, but you Morozov…”

Back in the ballroom, Shoma and one of the guards poured water onto one section of the fire as Yuzuru and Javier quenched the other half. The prince met his father’s kind eyes and darted towards the door.

“I have to find Jason…” he stopped, smiling as he saw the very man he was looking for running towards him. The two ran towards each other, with Shoma’s hands resting on Jason’s shoulders, and Jason’s hands resting on the prince’s waist.

“Are you alright?” Jason asked softly. Shoma smiled at him, tilting his head to one side.

“I am now.” He whispered, kissing Jason’s cheek very shyly and gently.

“Jason?” Both Jason and Shoma looked up to see Javier watching them, a vulnerable and pathetically hopeful expression on his face. Jason’s face softened somewhat and his eyes clouded over with tears and emotions.

“F-Father?”

Jason rushed over, taking Javier’s outstretched hands gently as he bit his lip hard, trying to keep all his emotions in.

“I thought you were gone forever,” Javier admitted, scanning his son’s face with nothing but love in his eyes.

“A-all those years… I thought I was alone.”

“Your mother and I have never stopped thinking about you, Jason.” Javier said softly, stroking his cheek lightly. “Our love is as constant…”

“As the stars above,” Jason and Javier said together. The king turned to the other king and cleared his throat, letting go of Jason’s hands gingerly.

“I don’t know where to begin Yuzuru. I’ve wrong you for all these years…”

“I’m just glad that Jason is safe.” Yuzuru said kindly.

“I hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me.” Javier admitted. Yuzuru glanced at Jason and Shoma before he offered Javier a hand. The other king took it and shook it firmly, both smiling through happy tears as they did.

Shoma took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Jason again, gazing up into his eyes before he pulled the other man into a firm kiss. Jason’s hand moved to Shoma’s hair, running through his curls as he deepened the kiss.

“Aww,” Rika sighed, watching from the balcony.

“Gee….” Kaori leaned her head on her arms, sighing too.

“That’s beautiful,” Mai said softly. The other two glanced at her with confused and amused expressions. “Hey. I call them as I see them.”

_With the two kingdoms reunited, peace returned to the land. And it wasn’t long before the magical day came where Shoma married Jason._

Jason smiled shyly as he and Shoma, both dressed in traditional white suits, stood on the palace steps and waved to their friends and family. Yuzuru sighed happily as Jun and Evgenia exchanged a goofy grin behind him. Keiji and Daisuke applauded Shoma, cheering for him.

“You did good Sho!”

“Finally you’ve got someone hot Sho!”

“Shoma! Shoma! Shoma!”

“Men,” Yuzuru said firmly, “This is a royal wedding, not a drinking party.”

“Shoma! Shoma! Shoma!” Daisuke carried on, ignoring the king.

The two silversmith brothers applauded, and Javier clapped too, smiling at Yuzuru from across the courtyard. Shoma’s four younger siblings clapped and cheered as well, grinning brightly.

Shoma helped Jason into their carriage as they set off towards their own palace, chuckling together as they arrived. Jason insisted on carrying Shoma over the threshold and they soon settled in. Jun and Evgenia soon joined them, with the rabbit claiming the comfiest pillow in the whole place to nap on, and the dragon lighting the fires to help to keep the palace warm for them. Shoma had specifically had a room built for Evgenia and her father, and he so creatively named it “The dragon room”.

Morozov, however, dedicated the rest of his days to making Sasha’s life very miserable.

“Sasha! Sasha! I said six and a half minutes!”

“Sasha, Sasha! Blah blah blah, six and a half minutes,” the ferret imitated her master, adjusting her chef hat and apron as she lifted the lid from the teapot. “Let steep for eleven minutes. Where are my biscuits and the blah blah blah?” She rolled her eyes before she carried the tray towards Morozov’s room. “Coming Master! Ah!” She tripped over, scattering plates, biscuits, and tea everywhere.

Jason breathed in the sea air, smiling as he looked out over the shore. Shoma slipped his hand into his, smiling up at him as they walked along the beach together to their own palace, nestled comfortably on the border of the two kingdoms. Shoma squeezed his hand gently before he pulled Jason in for a kiss, underneath the bright blue sky.

And Jason and Shoma lived happily ever after.


End file.
